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State's Minorities Get Apology For Racism From 4 Denominations

May 18, 1997|By From Tribune News Services.

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — The bishops of the Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist and Roman Catholic churches in South Carolina have issued a statement confessing to the sin of racism and asking for forgiveness.

The statement, signed Friday after a two-day conference on racism, asks Christ to "help us in our struggles to overcome the sin of racism, the powerful prejudice which pits one race against the other to the damage of all."

The bishops also announced plans to make a public confession at a service in Greenville next January.

"This is a very important step," said Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, general secretary of the National Council of Churches. "It's a very local reaction from the church leaders in the state that had the greatest number of church burnings."

At least 17 black churches have been burned in South Carolina since 1991.

The bishops, representing 466,000 church members, said that, if they deserve to be called Christians, they must "embrace each other totally and in the firm belief in one Lord, one baptism, one human family with equal liberty and justice for all."

They also said "no dogmas, no creeds, no Christian denominations divide us on these beliefs."

The bishops of the denominations have met in recent years to discuss matters of common concern. For example, the four denominations agreed last year to a common baptismal certificate.

Topics at the two-day conference included the small number of blacks in local and statewide church leadership positions and the past practice of designating rear pews or balconies for black worshipers.